Motivation and the ability to integrate data and derive insights from a multidisciplinary approach are required.The PhD candidate should have a background imprinted in agricultural and environmental sciences, technological and laboratory skills related to herbaceous livestock crops and stress physiology. Good knowledge of the aspects relating to the formulation of a feed ration and rumen metabolism is required.Finally, experience in hydro-informatics and calibration/validation of agrohydrological and spectral models must be demonstrated.

The main hubs of the research activities will be the four laboratories of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (DAFE): AgrHySMo (AgroHydrological Sensing and Modeling), Plant Science, Animal Production and Plant Pathology. The research group involves Prof. Giovanni Rallo, Prof. Giuseppe Conte, Dr. Lorenzo Cotrozzi, Dr. Marco Landi, Prof. Gianluca Brunori and Prof.Ssa Iduna Arduini, all members of the Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca per lo Studio degli Effetti del Cambiamento Climatico. The major issues of the research group address in agrohydrological sensors and modeling, animal production, physio-chemical and molecular bases of differential responses of plants to abiotic stresses, sustainable rural development and related innovation processes.The AgrHySMo lab. Manages the HTS-system implementing three hardware segments for high-frequency detection of the agrometeorological forcing variables (i.E. Atmometry), the weights (i.E. Gravimetry), and the soil water content (i.E. Time domain reflectometry) of sixteen pots (extendable up to 256 modules) in which livestock-crop will be seeded. The laboratory of animal science is equipped with the DaisyII Incubator, which reproduces in-vitro ruminal assay to study the digestibility of feed ration and estimates gases production, with particular reference to methane emission.The laboratory of Plant Science investigates the short and long-term growth response of plants and plant mixtures to abiotic stresses.The laboratories of plant pathology and biochemistry are fully equipped with semi-controlled greenhouses, as well as field and lab equipment for morpho-anatomical physio-chemical analyses (e.G. Full-range spectroradiometer, photosynthetic gas-exchange systems, chlorophyll-a fluorometers, pressure chamber, osmometer, HPLC, IC, GC-MS).